As the name implies, mixed martial arts has always been a sport in which fighters of various backgrounds come together to settle the debate of who truly is the best. While no specific style can be guaranteed as a guaranteed winner, we have seen aspects…
As the name implies, mixed martial arts has always been a sport in which fighters of various backgrounds come together to settle the debate of who truly is the best. While no specific style can be guaranteed as a guaranteed winner, we have seen aspects of numerous fighting styles dictate where fights happen and how they finish.
In this countdown, we will be taking a closer look at who the best of the best are in various skills used in mixed martial arts. If we were building the perfect super-fighter, these would be many of the attributes that he would possess.
So without further ado, it’s time to unveil the 15 members of my 2011 MMA All-Star team!
After weeks of hoping and pleading, fans will finally get their wish on October 29 when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre takes on Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. The idea of champion versus champion is a rare and interesting occ…
After weeks of hoping and pleading, fans will finally get their wish on October 29 when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre takes on Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.
The idea of champion versus champion is a rare and interesting occurrence in combat sports.
The lines are no longer blurred by contracts and organizations, and fans are given the opportunity to watch two champions duke it out for undisputed supremacy.
Since leaving the UFC, Diaz has amassed an extensive résumé over notable opposition. His recent success has skyrocketed him to superstardom.
Despite major names like Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, and Dan Henderson, it was Diaz that became the face of the Strikeforce promotion. Some have even threw out Tito Ortiz comparisons. Like Ortiz in his prime, fans care about watching Diaz fight, whether they love him or hate him.
The outspoken Stockton native has never been shy about expressing his feelings, and he has quickly become one of the most controversial figures in the sport. Still, fans always tune in to watch him fight.
Some watch in hopes that Diaz will finally get his mouth shut, and others love Diaz’s personality and hope for his continued climb up the MMA hierarchy.
At UFC 137, Diaz will get an opportunity to ascend all the way to the top of the welterweight division. St-Pierre has defended his UFC title six consecutive times, and he is widely considered as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
While he’s definitely a top-10 welterweight, Diaz hasn’t necessarily faced upper-echelon opposition. The only ranked welterweight he’s defeated in his run is Paul Daley, but history is far harsher on Diaz’s leap into UFC title contention.
During his earlier UFC run, Diaz struggled against strong grapplers with good submission defense. This led to a 2-4 stint, where Diaz incurred losses to Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, Karo Pariyan, and Joe Riggs.
Despite his world class Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and improved striking, Diaz has never been known for his wrestling.
St-Pierre is arguably the best wrestler in the entire sport, and he possesses the BJJ chops to stay out of danger and muster up offense of his own.
It’s dangerous in this sport to purely look at things from a black and white perspective, but on paper, this is as bad as it gets for Diaz. Still, people are overly excited to see the guy that will finally “take the fight to St-Pierre.”
What is it about Diaz that makes him more worthy of a title shot than Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, or even Rick Story?
Some may laugh at the addition of Story, but he recently routed Thiago Alves, who was widely considered the number three welterweight in the world. Sanchez is coming off back to back wins over ranked opposition in Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago.
After losing a controversial decision to Kampmann, Condit rebounded with wins over Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, and Dan Hardy.
Fitch has defeated a plethora of upper-echelon talent, and outside of his loss to St-Pierre, he hasn’t been defeated since December 2002.
The champion versus champion bout is more aesthetically pleasing to fans. Like any other sport, the title serves as recognition for being the best in the world, but in MMA, all of the best fighters don’t compete under one umbrella. They are scattered throughout the world in various organizations.
The majority of the top fighters compete in the UFC, and Diaz hasn’t faced the best in the 170-pound division.
Does any of this even matter?
The UFC has prided itself on delivering the fights fans want to see, and UFC President Dana White has done a tremendous job in putting this fight together.
The majority don’t care about Diaz’s past UFC tenure or his struggles with world class wrestlers.
They see a superstar brandishing a golden strap and 10 straight victories. People also see a fresh opponent for the French-Canadian.
Diaz has been seeking a superfight with St-Pierre for over a year now. This is the chance he’s been waiting for to finally prove that he is the best fighter in the world, but as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
UFC Featherweight Champion Looks for Fall Return to the OctagonBleacher Report’s Sean Smith reports:Recently, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 133. Since the annou…
UFC Featherweight Champion Looks for Fall Return to the Octagon
Bleacher Report’s Sean Smith reports:
Recently, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 133.
Since the announcement, Sherdog has released new details on Aldo’s injury situation.
The day after Aldo’s most recent fight against Mark Hominick at UFC 129, the featherweight champion began to experience numbness in his arm.
“I had a problem with my cervical vertebrae in December that was making my arm numb,” Aldo said. “I contacted a doctor and he diagnosed it a nerve entrapment, and recommended for me not to fight and to do physical therapy. I did that and got much better. I had this during the camp for the [Mark] Hominick fight, but with less intensity.”
Aldo later sought out the opinion of a second doctor in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the diagnosis remained the same.
“The doctor recommended I go through physical therapy for six weeks before training again, and that’s what I’m doing now,” Aldo said. “That’s why I won’t fight in August.”
To MMA fans, it must seem as though Hell as frozen over.Not only has Zuffa—the company that owns the UFC—purchased the UFC’s longtime competitor Strikeforce, but Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is being brought to very top of th…
To MMA fans, it must seem as though Hell as frozen over.
Not only has Zuffa—the company that owns the UFC—purchased the UFC’s longtime competitor Strikeforce, but Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is being brought to very top of the mountain; he is set to face reigning UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137.
This fight has already sparked a vast amount of interest and will likely be one of the most anticipated matches of the entire year. People are tired of seeing St-Pierre play it safe en route to decisions and they feel that Diaz is the man to finally make the Canadian truly fight.
But will this fight really live up to the no-doubt epic level of hype it will receive? Read on and find out!
These 10 fighters need a win, and they need it bad. They are all currently on losing streaks, and that is something that reduces their chances of fighting in the leading MMA organization in the world.Some of have upcoming bouts where their ca…
These 10 fighters need a win, and they need it bad. They are all currently on losing streaks, and that is something that reduces their chances of fighting in the leading MMA organization in the world.
Some of have upcoming bouts where their careers will be on the line. Others are waiting to hear from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva on whether or not they will actually get another chance or a pink slip.
Whatever is the case, expect them to fight as if their careers are on the line in their next bouts.
Reported by MMAConvert.com, the stable of welterweight fighters unhappy with the matchup between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight championship on October 29th at UFC 137 now includes Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit.Repor…
Reported by MMAConvert.com, the stable of welterweight fighters unhappy with the matchup between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight championship on October 29th at UFC 137 now includes Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit.
Reporter Steve Cofield spoke with Condit regarding this future championship clash between the reigning pound-for-pound king, Georges St-Pierre, and the current Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz.
Without a current victory in the UFC and competing only in Strikeforce, this chance for Diaz to challenge St-Pierre without a win over a current UFC competitor does not sit well with Condit.
“I think Nick is a great fighter. He has been on a terror as of late beating a lot of really tough guys. (However) I think it is a little bit unfair for him to get a title shot straight out of the gate because a lot of the WEC guys making that transition didn’t get that title shot, including myself,” Condit stated.
Reeling from that initial comment and playing the diplomatic card, Condit went on to say “with that being said, I think he (Nick Diaz) deserves a shot.”
Commenting on the competition within Strikeforce, Condit wavered when asked about the level of talent that Diaz has been challenging.
“Some of the fighters that Diaz has been facing are really tough,” Condit said. “They’re not mainstream as far as what the fans may recognize as top 10. But they are tough opponents.”
The dynamics of this championship battle between St-Pierre and Diaz is a hot ticket and a fight in which the fans have been asking for.
“I think people are expecting Nick to make Georges fight, and that is what people want to see,” Condit exclaimed.
Regardless of Carlos Condit’s personal views on this main event between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, “The Natural Born Killer” may one day have his opportunity to claim welterweight gold and is ensuring his own personal progression through the contender ladder to guarantee that his shot will one day come.
Recently, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 133.